Comments

Comment navigation

A family member just came back from Eritrea, it’s mine boggling how bad of in a shape the country is. He exchange rate in the black market was $1 dollar = $50 NKF. Worst yet, electricity shortage is beyond bad. Water shortage is beyond bad. Stealing and corruption is beyond bad.

As a polygamy, no wonder if you believe in monologue.
Fortunately you escape narrowly the funny hair cut, and being retailer of goats milk.
Seasonal birds like you have no gut to challenge and being challenged.

Belay,
I beg to differ. I would have say that critical date was the day the dictator joined the revolution. It is greater than all days – all worst thing that has happened is nothing compare that date.

Let god take the mad dog to hell as his idol Geddafi! Wedi Tembien Isaias and Wedi Adey Gebriela Monkey and Kisha (thief) will die soon! DIA is paranoid after Forto 2013. I wish a brave Eritrean hero finish this dictator while he was messing up in a bar or in a hotel.

When in the world did Haile Menkerios change his nationality,from an Eritrean to South African? He is such an intellectual and diplomatic. His experience at the international level is what is needed badly for our people, unfortuantely he is no longer an Eritrean nationality. I wish him all the best.

By AP,

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed veteran diplomat Haile Menkerios as the new U.N. representative to the African Union.

U.N. deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey said Friday that Menkerios will also continue his current assignment as the secretary-general’s special envoy for Sudan and South Sudan. He will have the rank of undersecretary-general.

Menkerios, a longtime Eritrean diplomat who is now a South African citizen, will replace Zachary Muburi-Muita of Kenya who completes his assignment on June 30.

Del Buey said Menkerios brings to his new position extensive experience in African issues and with the United Nations, where he was an assistant secretary-general for political affairs from 2007-2010.

Menkorios changed his nationality immediately after the Ethiopian defense forces humiliated and destroyed Shabia in 2000 and occupied 33% of Eritrean territory. Thereafter, Ethiopia declared its highly and well conceived policy of “no war and no peace” strategy to surely but slowly suffocate Shaebia and moved on to another war front, the war on poverty.

Dear Genuine and concerned Reader
please we have to forget the rubbish statement of insulting or considering strategic enemy of Eritrea as an Ethiopian, Amharu, Tigray and dergue. It is very backward the absolute enemy of Eritrean is identity crises, Poverty and the dogma dictator leadership in every corner of the country and abroad. We have to learn from our neighbors in the best mood unless it is nothing to come up and agitating the youth as enemy of amhara or tegaru in any discution and medeb taewet or ERITVs must avoid from our mind forever. they were not our enemy even nowadays.
God bless Eritrea.

While you are at it ,you may as well tell us renounce our Eritrean identity. Being Eritrean is being hateful of Amhara & Tegaru. If there is no enemy there is no Eritrean spirit. The only tangible we have left is hate..Please do not take that from us. It has served it´s purpose for 50 years & we need it.
Our concern is less when it comes Bedouin violating our boys & men behinds..but Woyane violating our territory capturing 4 insignificant villages is big deal.HATE HELPS US,ERITREANS,RELAX..assures us that we are ALIVE..walking dead yet alive.

Hail Menkorios has, like any ordinary person, has the right to convert to Islam, married a foreigner, a Sudanese woman, and acquire a another country’s citizenship, South African. guys, we should differentiate politics from our private lives. We need to wake up and think and live like normal human beings. We can’t afford living like herds permanently.

Elsa,
I trust you are either misguided or misinformed about Islam. For your information, Moselem belief in the uniquiness of the Almight Allah. He is the Supernatural. He is above all and no resembles him. Islam prohibits the killing of any human being without any justified reason and Haile is free to conver to any religion. So, Elsa don’t be baised. I am a moslem, I have read the bible and I really respect it and I invite you to read Koran which you will find it purely the workd of God. More ever, Haile is a Combridge graduate,a highly educted person and there in thousand like Haile from America, Europe who are converted and still converting to Islam.

Elsa, you are probably misguided or misinformed about Islam and moslems. Islam is a religion that believes in the uniquiness of Allah (God). He is above all and no one resembles him. Islam prohibits the killing of any person unless he commits a crime which justifies his murder and Mr. Haile is free to convert his religion to whatever he likes. Mr. Haile is highly educated person and a graduate of Cambridge Universtiy. If he is really converted to Islam, he is not the only person converting, but thousands of Combridge University professors converted to Islam and there is no shame about it. I am a moslem and I read the bible and I found it very interesting and every moslem is ought to read it. In the same way I invite you Elsa to read Koran and I am sure you will enjoy reading it.

Sofia,
You seem to be a very intelligent person. As a secular orthodox christian (not a good one, yet), what you have said is true.
Religion is a personal choice and it should be respected as it is.
However, brother Salim seems to agree with you but all his comments are otherwise.

True believers always follow their holy book teaching insists . Sometimes we observe people
who know and take serious approach to the teachings of the BOOK and in contrary those who
just keep one on the shelf . Knowledge is wisdom and to have part of it we should educate
ourselves to have broad understanding about life in general . Narrow assumption is not only
unhealthy but also it is a motion for self destruction like we witnessed on other part of
the world.
THERE IS NOT DIRTY POLITICS OF LEFT-RIGHT IN HOLY BOOKS BUT TO OBEY GOD’S COMMANDS FOR PURE SPIRIT .

As a non Muslim, I find myself Intrigued and attracted to your faith. However, I find it difficult to comprehend how a man can be sentenced to death for speaking( Salman Rushdie). I would have thought that we as humans do not have that right to make those decisions, only god can?

Praise be to Allaah.
We thank you for your confidence in us and for sending this question to us, and we appreciate your being intrigued by our beliefs and your eagerness to find out the answer. We welcome you as a visitor and reader and learner.

What stood out from your letter is that you are impressed with the religion of Islam. This is a good sign for us and for you. We are happy for our religion to reach people like you who are seeking for the truth. Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that this religion would reach all places on this earth. It was narrated that Tameem al-Daari said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘This matter (i.e., Islam) will certainly reach everywhere that night and day reach, and Allaah will not leave any house or tent [i.e., all dwellings, in towns and in the desert], but Allaah will cause this religion to enter it, and some people will be honoured because of it [by converting] and others will be humiliated because of it [for refusing to embrace it], and they will be ruled by the Muslims, an honour which Allaah will bestow on Islam and a humiliation which He will inflict on kufr (disbelief).”

(Narrated by Ahmad, 16344; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 3).

In your case, your admiration for Islam will motivate you to find out what this pure monotheistic religion teaches, and how it is in accordance with sound human nature and common sense. We advise you to avoid completely and preconceptions that may influence you and take your time in reading about the teachings of the Islamic religion. Perhaps you could read material on this site about Islam, such as questions no. 219, 21613, 20756, 10590.

With regard to your question, “However, I find it difficult to comprehend how a man can be sentenced to death for speaking. I would have thought that we as humans do not have that right to make those decisions, only god can” – what you say is correct, because no-one has the right to condemn another person to death without evidence from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

The ruling of execution because of a word that somebody utters is what the Muslim scholars call al-riddah (apostasy). What is apostasy and what constitutes apostasy? What is the ruling on the apostate (al-murtadd)?

1 – Riddah (apostasy) refers to when a Muslim becomes a disbeliever by saying a clear statement to that effect, or by uttering words which imply that (i.e., which imply kufr or disbelief), or he does something that implies that (i.e., an action which implies kufr or disbelief).

2 – What constitutes apostasy

The matters which constitute apostasy are divided into four categories:

(a) Apostasy in beliefs, such as associating others with Allaah, denying Him, or denying an attribute which is proven to be one of His attributes, or by affirming that Allaah has a son. Whoever believes that is an apostate and a disbeliever.

(b) Apostasy in words, such as insulting Allaah or the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

(c) Apostasy in actions, such as throwing the Qur’an into a filthy place, because doing that shows disrespect towards the words of Allaah, so it is a sign that one does not believe. Other such actions include prostrating to an idol or to the sun or moon.

(d) Apostasy by omission, such as not doing any of the rituals of Islam, or turning away from following it altogether.

3 – What is the ruling on the apostate?

If a Muslim apostatizes and meets the conditions of apostasy – i.e., he is of sound mind, an adult and does that of his own free will – then his blood may be shed with impunity. He is to be executed by the Muslim ruler or by his deputy – such as the qaadi or judge, and he is not to not be washed (after death, in preparation for burial), the funeral prayer is not to be offered for him and he is not to be buried with the Muslims.

The evidence that the apostate is to be executed is the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Whoever changes his religion, execute him.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2794). What is meant by religion here is Islam (i.e., whoever changes from Islam to another religion).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim who bears witness that there is no god except Allaah and that I am His Messenger, except in one of three cases: a soul for a soul (i.e., in the case of murder); a married man who commits adultery; and one who leaves his religion and splits form the jamaa’ah (main group of Muslims).” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6878; Muslim, 1676)

See al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 22/180.

Thus it will be clear to you that execution of the apostate is something that is commanded by Allaah, when he commanded us to obey the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority”

[al-Nisa’ 4:59]

And the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has commanded us to execute the apostate as in the hadeeth quoted above: “Whoever changes his religion, execute him.”

It may need some time for you to be convinced about this matter, and for you to think about it. Perhaps you think that if a person follows the truth and enters into it and embraces the one true religion which Allaah has enjoined, then we allow him to leave it quite easily whenever he wants and to utter the words of kufr (disbelief) that put him outside of Islam, so he can reject Allaah, His Messenger, His Books and His religion, and there is no punishment as deterrent, how will that affect him and others who enter the religion?

Do you not see that this would make the one true religion, that everyone should follow, like a shop or store which a person can enter when he wants and leave when he wants, and it may encourage others to forsake the truth.

Moreover, this is not someone who has never known the truth and practiced it and worshipped in accordance with it; rather this is a person who has known the truth, and practiced the religion and done the rituals of worship, so the punishment is no greater than he deserves. Moreover, such strong rulings as this are only applied to such a person whose life is no longer considered to be useful, because he knew the truth and followed the religion, then he left it and forsook it. What soul can be more evil than the soul of such a person?

In conclusion, the answer is that Allaah is the One Who revealed this religion and enjoined it. He is the One Who ruled that the one who enters it and then leaves it is to be executed. This ruling does not come from the Muslims’ ideas or suggestions. As this is the case, then we must follow the ruling of Allaah so long as we are content to accept Him as our Lord and God.

May Allaah help us and you to do that which He loves and which pleases Him. We thank you once again.

Ay laxen zibele kumal ebilaeyo kem zibahal let them suffering the highly position they have (military officers. They should get rid out the mad dog rather than bow to him. The worst thing about the poor people. The military officers what they wait until he deport them to rashida or what, shames hgdf officers do not give him your dignity to this mad dog.

Wedi Zibelo
We do you expect from the uneducated hgih ranking officers like Wicho, Filippos, Karicar, China etc. These are who running the country in the absence of constitution and rule of law. Sine they are living in a ver luxurous villas and possessing latest model land cruisers, they don’t mind about the people. The reason, is when they joined the liberation army, they were selected and brought up by Issais to serve him. There is no difference between them and Mesfin Hagos, Adhanom and Abdella Adem
who are still doing their home work in exile.

I don´t mind weather Haile Menkerious has multi nationality or not, i even don´t mind because married with a Sudanese woman if he call us now i am Muslim, Christian, Atheist or Pagan. What it interesting me is only to know his political stand and agenda regarding Eritrea what it is exactly only. Realy i like to know this person´s true eye color more than anybody else, because most likely he seems to me he could be the next Eritrean president, not only because i convince he would be one of the beat favorite candidate and have suportance by US administration, but as he as Isayas regime strong opponent he might could have a majority public support as well. But this guy if he might has a hidden unionist agenda this time, like for instance Dr. Bereket Habteselase, Dr. Tesfasion Medehane and alike, by no means we allow such persons our nation to lead. Not because the idea of unity by itself is bad or wrong, in contrary i believe unity as good it is. But for this hidden purpose, beginning from Isayas administration, many exile abstain so called intellectuals, the Ethiopian regime selves up to many ordinary fake citizens, deliberately by they doing a systematical humiliating process, by they causing economical and political sabotage in perversive way, so that our people and nation to kneel down and then to inforce people to think about for unity, i tell you in such perversive way for me unity is unthinkable and totally unwelcome! If this is their motto, what they think, why are then our brothers and sisters they paid high sacrifice and disabled? Unity may be thinkable after 3, or 4 decades if the people of both nation works for good neighborhood if their conscious and economy in all aspects develop and progress is only. I say it again, “Unity comes with love and conscious, but not by systematically causing problem and make people suffer and poor, not by humiliating, killing, sabotaging our economy and people. No one because suffer choses unity like all of you perverse Eritrea enemies thinking, but when proudly and consciously our society convinces and choses for unity only.”

what got to do Haile menkorios with is article .what we really need we Eritrean is at is time unity and one good leader .forget all the rest who they where or what thay did in the past or what thay are doing now .we have many honest and super smart people lets just give them a chance and open mind

The regime will continoue to play up to all the cards finished and will try all possible alternatives and tactica. We will see next what is going to happen and we will do what we can.

I am very sorry that I don’t accept mr. Haile as politician. He is doing all his best for his carrier. So suck people are selfish. As he gets beautifull girl he converts from religion to another for the sake of just to get a lady. He gets another ethiopian lady who is more beautiful than this sudanese lady sign and let Eritrea to be back to Ethiopia.

So just forget him. Who is he by the way you exagirate him? He is as simple as every one.